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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · file · racket · perch · scale · degree · hide · bore

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to drill
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a document
  10. degree — an amount
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — the fish
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — to tire
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — all right
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com